The present invention relates to a weather strip and apparatus and process for manufacturing the same, and more particularly, the invention relates to an irregularly shaped weather strip or a weather strip which includes a plurality of portions having different circumferential length or different cross-sectional configurations and apparatus and process for manufacturing the same.
The door of an automobile is provided with a weather strip to seal a clearance formed between the door and the body so that entry of raindrops and the like is effectively prevented. The clearance formed between the door and the body is not generally uniform; therefore, the door is conventionally provided with a weather strip which includes a plurality of portions having different circumferential lengths or different cross-sectional configurations with respect to each other, so that such a clearance is sufficiently sealed to prevent entry of raindrops and the like. In some of weather strips provided on automotive doors, the outer circumferential length of a portion positioned on the frame portion of the door is different from that of a portion positioned on the panel portion of the door. Such a weather strip, when the door is closed, acts as a member to encourage the stabilization of the door and to enhance sealing performance between the door and the body.
A conventional process for manufacturing the irregularly shaped weather strip comprises the steps of molding a plurality of weather strip fractions having different circumferential lengths produced by an extruding procedure, fitting the fractions into bonding dies and bonding the fractions at the ends to produce a weather strip. Thus, since the conventional process for manufacturing the irregularly shaped weather strip includes a step of bonding the weather strip fractions at the ends, the weather strip as produced has a plurality of joining portions.
A problem usually associated with the conventional process is that the produced weather strip exhibits undesirable awkward appearance.
Another problem usually associated with the conventional process is that the produced weather strip tends to be broken at the joining portions.
A further problem usually associated with the conventional process is that a variety of molding dies and bonding dies are required to produce the weather strip, and these dies have to be replaced whenever the design of the weather strip is changed. This may lead to increased working time.
A still further problem usually associated with the conventional process is that the process includes a large number of basic steps to produce the weather strip, thereby causing increased working time and labor cost.